Clean Energy Wire

German carmakers have decried the EU agreement on 2030 car fleet emission targets as unrealistic. "The regulation demands too much while promoting too little," the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said in a statement. "Nobody knows today how the agreed limits can be achieved in the time given," the VDA added. The association warned that the move would damage Europe's standing in the international car market and endanger jobs. The EU agreed on Monday to cut CO2 emissions from new cars by 37.5 percent by 2030. After a prolonged internal struggle, Germany had sought a cut of 30 percent and the European Parliament had pursued a reduction of 40 percent. Environmental organisations and other proponents of sustainable mobility had stressed that carmakers’ internal plans envisaged that electric vehicles will have a share of 30 to 50 percent of new car sales by 2030 anyway.